The Role of Home Food Production in the Prevention of Vitamin A Deficiency in Children

Esio-Bassey, Chizoba (2022) The Role of Home Food Production in the Prevention of Vitamin A Deficiency in Children. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Vitamin A deficiency is one of the most prevalent micronutrient deficiencies and the main cause of preventable blindness in children below five years old. Home food production may have the potential to tackle vitamin A deficiency in children.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of home food production in the prevention of vitamin A deficiency in children below the age of five.
METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis of global controlled trials were carried out to assess the effectiveness of home food production of vitamin A-rich foods on nightblindness, xeropthalmia, stunting, wasting, underweight, dietary diversity, mortality, cost and income generated from intervention. Cost-effectiveness analysis and a value of information analysis were carried out to investigate the likely cost-effectiveness and value of further research in home gardening/community farming of vitamin A biofortified cassava and maize (yellow cassava and orange maize) to prevent vitamin A deficiency in Nigerian children.
RESULTS: A total of 16 trials, GRADED as low-quality evidence how that home food production modestly improves stunting, wasting underweight and dietary diversity in children. The effect of home food production on serum retinol was inconclusive and no studies reported night blindness, xeropthalmia or mortality. Home gardening/community farming of yellow cassava and orange maize is likely to be highly cost-effective, however, more research on its cost and effect on serum retinol in children would be good value for money.
CONCLUSION: This thesis strongly suggests that home gardening/community farming has the potential to tackle vitamin A deficiency in young Nigerian children. Additional research, especially high-quality trials, including cost-analysis to assess the effect of home gardening/community farming of yellow cassava and orange maize on serum retinol would be worthwhile before deciding on its implementation. Until then, more funding and targeted implementation are needed to up-scale vitamin A supplementation and food fortification programmes to rural children.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
Depositing User:	Kitty Laine
Date Deposited:	15 Jun 2022 13:42
Last Modified:	15 Jun 2022 13:42
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/85632
DOI:

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